Mi Museo: Conserving Nicaragua’s Creative History

Located in a beautifully restored mid-19th century building in the historical center of Granada, Mi Museo is home to an extensive collection of Pre-Columbian ceramics dating back to as early as 2000 BC. Visitors can view more than 5,000 pieces at leisure and at no charge, while learning about the artistic and cultural history of Nicaragua. The Granada Collection at Mi Museo was opened in December 2005 by Peder Kolind, with the intention of promoting the importance of conserving Nicaragua’s archeological and cultural artifacts and promoting archeological and historical research, and to make this available to visitors at no cost.

Boasting five exhibition rooms, the museum’s walls are painted white so as not to distract from the ceramic pieces on display. The ceramic pieces are positioned in glass cases on pedestals, giving visitors the opportunity to examine them from all angles, while preserving these precious historic treasures. Touch-screen computers give visitors access to photographs and detailed descriptions of individual pieces on display, as well as pieces that are located in the museum’s research area. In addition to the items in glass cases, there are a wide variety of funeral urns, traditional metates (boards and rollers for grinding corn), and jars, many of which are styled to resemble people or animals.

The museum’s research area is designed to assist visiting researchers to work in natural light and pleasant conditions, while the conference hall at the base of the museum can comfortably accommodate up to fifty audience members. The conference hall is equipped with state-of-the-art audio/visual equipment for lectures and presentations. Moreover, Mi Museo has created a virtual exhibition, organized chronologically and by type, for researchers to have access to the collection regardless of where they may be located.

In March 2013, Mi Museo added a large acrylic and texture work on canvas by Granada-born artist Eduardo Arias to the collection. Entitled Journey Through Time, the colorful work of art is characteristic of the artist’s style of highlighting Nicaraguan culture and customs. Visitors to Mi Museo in Granada can enjoy viewing the latest acquisition along with items from Nicaragua’s ancient past.